The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set a deadline of April 24 for people to send in their opinions of Mumbai’s blueprint for the next 20 years.

You have three weeks left to give your suggestions and objections to the civic body’s draft development plan 2034.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set a deadline of April 24 for people to send in their opinions of Mumbai’s blueprint for the next 20 years.

Various citizen associations and NGOs, however, are approaching elected representatives to get the date extended.

Most residents complained that it was difficult to understand the report in just 60 days and they needed more time to understand the proposed changes in the DCR and its impact.

“Many people have become aware of the issue and are taking an interest. It is important for every citizen to know what the draft has in store for them. Objections can’t be made without any study. The maps need to be seen by an architect, which is another task for each society. The process will take time,” said Bharati Kakkad, a resident of Union Park, Khar.

Also, seminars are being held across Andheri, Borivli, Bandra, Khar, and Colaba. “The aim is to inform people about the DP and its implications. We are also involving elected representatives to help us create an impact on the administration and get an extension in giving suggestions and objections,” said Milind Mhaske, project director, Praja Foundation.

There are concerns that residents’ opinions will not be taken into consideration, the way they were ignored while marking the existing land use (ELU).

Experts, however, feel the DP can’t be refined as it has too many discrepancies. Hence, NGOs and citizens’ associations have got elected representatives to discuss the problems directly with the officials of the DP department.

Citizens also claimed the process should involve ward offices and not just directly go to the town planners.

“Ward offices need to do some homework and visit societies to take down what they have to say,” said Ashoke Pandit, chairperson, Oshiwara-Lokhandwala Citizens’ Association.

Sheetal Mhatre, Shiv Sena corporator of R-north ward (Dahisar), said, “We need time to educate the citizens who don’t understand the DP, and explain how it will impact them. The process is becoming more difficult as the text is not available in Marathi.”